27 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The goal of this study is to enhance the accuracy and sensitivity of concussion evaluation by integrating traditional assessment tools with emerging neuroimaging technologies, such as Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). By systematically collecting data across multiple assessment domains-including sideline evaluations, neurocognitive testing, balance assessments, vestibular/ocular-motor screening (VOMS), and brain activity measurements-this study aims to improve the diagnostic process and ensure a safer return-to-play protocol for athletes recovering from sport-related concussions. Research Questions: 1. How do traditional concussion assessment tools (SCAT, computerized neurocognitive tests, balance tests, and VOMS) compare to fNIRS in detecting changes in brain function following a sport-related concussion? 2. What is the relationship between pre-injury baseline measures, acute post- injury assessments, and recovery-phase evaluations in athletes diagnosed with a sport-related concussion? 3. Can fNIRS improve the sensitivity and specificity of concussion diagnosis compared to existing clinical assessments? 4. How do clinical symptoms, medical history, and other individual factors influence concussion recovery and return-to-play timelines? 5. Does integrating fNIRS with traditional assessment tools enhance the ability to track recovery progression and inform return-to-play decisions? This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of concussion diagnosis and recovery while assessing the added value of fNIRS technology in improving clinical decision-making.
Primary Aim: Compare physiological (e.g., heart rate) and clinical responses (e.g., symptom provocation) of adolescent and adult athletes (14-35 years of age) completing either a structured treadmill running or a dynamic aerobic exertion protocol during the subacute phase of sport-related concussion recovery (3-30 days after injury). Secondary Aim: Examine potential effects of clinically-relevant factors that influence symptom responses to controlled aerobic exertion, such as age, physical activity patterns, motion sensitivities, psychological responses to injury, and sleep quality, among subjects completing controlled aerobic and dynamic exertion following sport-related concussion
Determine the safety and efficacy of sub-maximal aerobic exercise during the subacute phase of recovery following sport-related concussion.
Each year, nearly 2 million children and adolescents have a sport-related concussion (SRC) in the U.S., but 57% of them do not receive appropriate clinical care following their injury. These injuries involve a wide range of symptoms including headache, dizziness, and sleep problems; and cognitive, emotional, visual, and vestibular impairment. The investigators have developed a clinical treatment model for SRC that addresses the heterogeneity of this injury using different clinical subtypes or profiles that inform precision interventions. To date, the investigators have identified cognitive, anxiety/mood, post-traumatic migraine, cervical, oculomotor, and vestibular clinical profiles. Patients with vestibular clinical profiles- involving dizziness, environmental sensitivity, and imbalance- are common (60-65% of concussions), and have worse outcomes and longer recovery following SRC. Consequently, the investigators have developed and applied precision vestibular treatments that can be matched to specific impairments and symptoms to actively treat patients with vestibular clinic profiles.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of riboflavin to decrease the duration of time for a student-athlete to return to participation in sports after a sports related concussion.
Adolescents with concussion will be randomly assigned to a treatment group where they will receive sub-threshold exercise, or assigned to a placebo group where they will receive structured stretching exercises. Both groups will receive standard medical coverage with regular clinic visits. All participants will record symptoms daily on a dedicated web site. All participants will be evaluated at time 1 with (1) structured physical exam, and (2) structured exercise stress test which is terminated when there is symptom exacerbation. The primary outcome measure is time to recovery where recovery is defined as (1) asymptomatic for two consecutive days, and (2) ability to exercise to exhaustion without exacerbation of symptoms, and (3) confirmed by a physician based on a structured physical exam.
Evaluation of a neck strengthening program as a potential intervention to reduce the risk of sport-related concussion in youth contact and collision sport athletes.
The purpose of this study is to investigate if skilled physical therapy treatment for dizziness after sports-related concussion, delivered after greater than 30 days post-concussion is effective to remediate physical symptoms. This will be the first study that explores differential PT treatment for dizziness in concussed athletes who have physical symptoms 30+ days after concussion. The findings of this important research have great potential to influence clinical practice and place increased emphasis on and acceptance of manual skills and neuromotor training in the treatment of concussed patients with dizziness.
Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study is to determine the feasibility of conducting a randomized clinical trial (RCT) on physical therapist treatment for dizziness after sports-related concussion. The specific research question for this pilot RCT is: What is the feasibility of conducting a RCT on athletes who have dizziness 10 or greater days after a sports-related concussion to explore the effectiveness of directed vestibular rehabilitation, neuromotor retraining, and/or manual physical therapy (PT) when compared to sham treatment? The findings of this study (for both feasibility and effect size) will be used to inform and direct revisions to the methods for a larger RCT on this population. Primary Aims: Specific Aim 1: Assess the feasibility of the following: recruitment and retention of participants, required resources for project management, and assessment of patient safety. Specific Aim 2: Estimate the size of the effect between skilled physical therapist intervention and a sham treatment for the recovery rate for athletes with a concussion who have dizziness 10 - 14 days post-concussion.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of riboflavin to decrease the duration of time for a student-athlete to return to participation in sports after a sports related concussion.
This study's objectives are: * To prospectively examine changes in brain network activation (BNA™) from baseline to recovery (i.e., return to activity) in youth and adolescent athletes with concussion. * To assess the clinical utility of changes in BNA to assist in clinical decision-making. * To generate normative BNA data.
This proposal aims to describe the oculometric features present during King-Devick (K-D) testing for subjects who experienced sports-related concussion. The investigators aim to better describe the underlying oculomotor anomalies present in this cohort that lead to increased K-D test time. Understanding these anomalies will allow for better understanding of the effects of sports-related concussion and may provide a rapid and reliable metric for diagnosing concussion as well as monitoring long-term recovery.
Currently, there is no direct, reliable, bed-side, and non-invasive method for assessing changes in brain activity associated with concussion. Event Related Potentials (ERPs), which are temporal reflections of the neural mass electrical activity of cells in specific regions of the brain that occur in response to stimuli, may offer such a method, as they provide both a noninvasive and portable measure of brain function. The ERPs provide excellent temporal information, but spatial resolution for ERPs has traditionally been limited. However, by using high-density electroencephalograph (EEG) recording spatial resolution for ERPs is improved significantly. The paradigm for the current study will combine neurophysiological knowledge with mathematical signal processing and pattern recognition methods (BNA™) to temporally and spatially map brain function, connectivity and synchronization. The proposed study will provide additional evidence for the utility and contribution of the BNA™ test (reflecting temporal and spatial changes in brain activity as well as brain functional connectivity associated with concussion) in concussion management. The BNA test is basically divided to 3 phases - first EEG data is collected from subjects using an EEG system while the subject is performing a cognitive task in front of a computer. The EEG data is then analyzed using the advanced BNA™ technology. Finally, a report of the BNA™ test is generated.
Currently, there is no direct, reliable, bed-side, and non-invasive method for assessing changes in brain activity associated with concussion. Event Related Potentials (ERPs), which are temporal reflections of the neural mass electrical activity of cells in specific regions of the brain that occur in response to stimuli, may offer such a method, as they provide both a noninvasive and portable measure of brain function. The ERPs provide excellent temporal information, but spatial resolution for ERPs has traditionally been limited. However, by using high-density electroencephalograph (EEG) recording spatial resolution for ERPs is improved significantly. The paradigm for the current study will combine neurophysiological knowledge with mathematical signal processing and pattern recognition methods (BNA™) to temporally and spatially map brain function, connectivity and synchronization. The proposed study will provide additional evidence for the utility and contribution of the BNA™ test (reflecting temporal and spatial changes in brain activity as well as brain functional connectivity associated with concussion) in concussion management.
Concussions are defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. Currently the standard of care in the treatment for concussions is cognitive and physical rest until symptoms resolve with a graduated return to activity. High dose omega-3 fatty acids have shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and membrane stabilizing properties. They have also been used in treatment of severe traumatic brain injury. The purpose of this study is to determine if early high dose omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes that have sustained a concussion will decrease the number of days out of competitive sports with a quicker symptom resolution, return to baseline neurocognitive functioning and postural stability using a randomized double blind placebo controlled study design. Once an athlete is identified as having sustained a concussion by the East Carolina University Sports Medicine staff and qualifies for the study, he/she will randomly be assigned to either high dose omega-3 fatty acid or placebo. Both groups will undergo standard and usual care for concussed athletes at East Carolina University. The number of days it takes the athlete to return to competitive athletics will be recorded, along with time to symptom resolution, normalization of their computerized neurocognitive testing (ImPact) and computerized postural stability testing (Biodex BioSway).
Sports-related concussions are a serious problem in football, boxing, and other full contact sports. After experiencing consecutive concussions, there is an increase in neurological deficits that can lead to long-term cognitive problems (Dementia pugilistica). To combat this increase in brain damage, novel strategies need to be developed to protect athletes that are participating in these full contact sports. The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether resveratrol decreases brain injury and improves brain function after experiencing a concussion in boxers.
The purpose of this study is to compare effects of Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMt) to standard of care in adolescent athletes at risk for delayed recovery from subacute sports concussion, to substantiate the impact of subacute PBMt over time on functional and structural connectivity of the brain using advanced MRI sequences and to correlate the psychological and behavioral outcomes to neuroimaging findings
A two-year parallel randomized clinical trial study to examine the effect of screen time (ST) restriction, exercise alone, and combined ST-restricted-exercise when compared to stretching only (control group) on sports related concussion recovery time among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Study hypothesis 1 - There will be significant differences between the treatment and the control arms' mean recovery time (days). Study hypothesis 2 - The ST-restricted \& exercise treatment arm will have a significantly shorter mean recovery time (days) compared with the other treatment arms and control arm.
Sport-related concussion is a common and serious injury that can affect athletes of all ages in any sport. The purpose of this project is to study the effect of a 12-week manual resistance neck strengthening exercise program on participants' neck size and strength and how their heads and necks move during simulated sport-associated tasks. This study will help determine if greater neck strength may lower an athlete's risk of sport-related concussion. Each healthy male and female soccer athlete between the ages of 13-19 enrolled in the study will participate for approximately four months. Study participation includes routine visits with various assessments (i.e. certain body measurements, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound) in addition to the strengthening exercise program.
This study (Part 3) is designed to build a database including EEG, neurocognitive performance, clinical symptoms, history and other relevant data, which will be used to derive a multimodal EEG based algorithm for the identification of concussion and tracking of recovery.
This study is Part 2 of data collection from 13-25 years old subject population for validation of previously derived algorithms. This data will be combined with that collected under NCT02957461 (Part 1 with subject age range 18-25 years) for the final analyses of validation of the algorithms.
This study is Part 1 of data collection from 18-25 years old subject population for validation of previously derived algorithms. This data will be combined with that collected under NCT03671083 (Part 2 with subject age range 13-25 years) for the final analyses of validation of the algorithms.
This study (Part 2) is designed to build a database including EEG, neurocognitive performance, clinical symptoms, history and other relevant data, which will be used to derive a multimodal EEG based algorithm for the identification of concussion and tracking of recovery. In addition, neuroimaging will be conducted at time of injury and following Return to Play (RTP).
This study (Part 1) is designed to build a database including EEG, neurocognitive performance, clinical symptoms, history and other relevant data, which will be used to derive a multimodal EEG based algorithm for the identification of concussion and tracking of recovery. In addition, neuroimaging will be conducted at time of injury and following Return to Play (RTP).
This project aims to study whether adding osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to usual care of concussed patients will enhance their recovery.
The overall objective is to provide an onsite diagnosis with subsequent return to play criteria, as well as, lower the risk of traumatic brain injury by primary prevention through cervical spine neuromuscular control and vision training. The central hypothesis is that improved understanding of neurocognitive measures and function will provide improved diagnosis of concussion and help reduce the incidence of subsequent sports-related injury.
To identify the changes in the brain following repeated sports-related concussion in men's football, women's soccer, and women's lacrosse college athletes by reviewing the findings of MRI studies that look at the structure of the brain and the appearance of the white matter at baseline, during the acute phase of a concussive injury, and upon completion of collegiate athletic play and correlate these findings with standard clinical measures.